Basilica of St Julian, Brioude

Detail of the painted vaulting at the Basilica of St Julian, Brioude, France, 11th-12th centuries. (For more information about the building see Paradox Place).

Romanesque architecture is often pleasing to contemporary eyes because of its austerity, especially in comparison to gothic architecture. In reality, most Romanesque religious buildings would have been heavily decorated, depicting religious scenes, not just in stone, but in paint as well.